IN HUMAN Synonyms: 209 Similar and Opposite Words

inhuman

adjective

(ˌ)in-ˈhyü-mən

Definition of inhuman

as in oppressive

difficult to endure kept the prisoners in criminally inhuman conditions

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in ruthless

having or showing a lack of sympathy or tender feelings an inhuman indifference to the sufferings of other human beings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in brutal

having or showing the desire to inflict severe pain and suffering on others a classic sociological study showing just how inhuman an individual can become when given absolute power over another

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of inhuman Federal authorities have subjected record numbers of immigrants to mandatory detention, including in inhuman and degrading conditions, while gutting internal oversight mechanisms. — Minky Worden, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026 Microsoft noted last month that its bumper crop of patches—which almost reached the current record—was the result of AI’s ability to automatically ferret out security vulnerabilities at inhuman speeds. — Andy Greenberg, Wired News, 13 June 2026 Some combination of its audio quality, breathiness, cadence, and intonation just hits me as squarely inhuman. — Ruben Circelli, PC Magazine, 8 June 2026 Perfection is inhuman, and pretensions to it are both doomed and misbegotten. — Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for inhuman

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inhuman

Adjective

There’s always another internet grift for someone looking to save himself fast, and without any gimmicky visual intrusions, the film feels authentically tuned into the aspirational mentality and oppressive reality of contemporary social media.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 15 Sep. 2026
Amid an oppressive stretch of extreme heat and Florida-esque humidity that has been punishing much of California, consider, for a moment, the Ice Age.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of oppressive

Adjective

Within hours, their yacht vanishes, Matt is abducted by a gang of ruthless pirates led by Langbore (Copley), and paradise becomes a trap.

— Alex Ritman, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
Arsenal created more than enough to help themselves to a bunch of goals in Naples, only to get stuck in anti-ruthless mode.

— Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruthless

Adjective

Horror films and increasingly brutal crime stories reveal the very large market for the subject.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Sep. 2026
McKinley stages a few bullet-sweating sequences of peril, including a particularly brutal transport of gold bars across a crumbling rope bridge and an underwater accident exacerbated by floating logs.

— Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of brutal

Adjective

Avoid acidic cleaners like vinegar or lemon, as well as harsh chemicals and abrasive tools, to protect the glaze.

— Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 5 Sep. 2026
The frustration within the Democratic caucus immediately prompted some calls for harsh consequences.

— Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of harsh

Adjective

Cora, the granddaughter of a woman kidnapped from West Africa and sold into slavery, flees her captor’s plantation, plunging her into the book’s alternate steampunk reality where she is pursued by the merciless slave catcher Ridgeway.

— David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Sep. 2026
But the movie very much belongs to Trinca and Bruni Tedeschi, just as Anna belongs to the merciless stranger.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of merciless

Adjective

Like her, Americans are also so tired of being screwed by an administration that’s not only grossly incompetent and cruel but corrupt as well.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
Rather than heroic, these costly and horribly uncertain stunts come across callous and cruel.

— Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of cruel

Adjective

Because of the heat wave's dramatic effect on everyday life, Paris became a tough place to walk around in the sunshine.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Sep. 2026
But Chipotle has been in a tough spot since Niccol departed in 2024, and even as Boatwright’s plan shows signs of momentum (same-store sales have begun to tick back up again), there are open questions about Chipotle’s strategic direction.

— Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of tough

Adjective

Oscar Wilde, for example, reposes beneath a hulking deity whose iconoclastic castration, back in 1961, did little to restrain pilgrims seeking to smear red lips across his stony physique.

— Emily Cox, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
Instead of looking like a sleek urban loft, the room can quickly start to feel cold, stony, and impersonal.

— Natasha Bazika, Martha Stewart, 9 May 2026